I'll Be There
by Sehanine
Summary: When Hermione has a bad time she turns to Harry to help


Written for finals round 3 of the QLFC

Team: Pride of Portree

Position: Seeker

Word Count: 1231

* * *

Hermione threw her handbag onto the floor and kicked her shoes off in the entryway. Her whole day had been terrible. Ever since her divorce it seemed like nothing was going right, but today had been the worst day yet.

The day began with burnt toast. Not the end of the world, but it certainly didn't put her in the best mood. It was raining, of course, and she couldn't really afford to take a taxi to work. She could Apparate, but there was the risk that she would be seen by Muggles; one of the many downsides to her dead-end job in a non-magical area.

Being a librarian had seemed like a great idea at the time, and a quick Confundus had helped her to avoid any awkward questions about the validity of the Muggle exam results on her CV, or lack of references provided. An escape from the magical world had seemed necessary after the media storm that surrounded her split from Ron. Frankly, she couldn't understand the obsession that the public had with her life. Being a war hero might sound glamorous, but Hermione had found fame to be far more trouble than it was worth.

Flopping down onto the sofa, Hermione sighed deeply. She knew she should get herself something to eat; she'd need the energy to deal with the multitude of idiotic patrons at work tomorrow, if today was anything to go by, but she knew that her fridge was virtually empty, and she was pretty sure that some of the ingredients she did have were past their use-by date. Her financial situation was becoming problematic, but her job simply didn't pay well enough for her to afford to both pay rent and eat well.

Hermione wished for at least the hundredth time that she had swallowed her pride and accepted the settlement Ron offered her when she left. It had been more than generous, but she hadn't wanted his pity, especially after he had cheated on her. It would have been useful, though.

Hermione held back the tears that were threatening to fall, and wrapped herself in a blanket that hung on the back of her sofa. Central heating was a luxury she could not currently afford. Her wand was in her handbag which she had so carelessly tossed down too far away to reach, and even the promise of a warming charm was not tempting enough for her to summon the willpower she would need to move.

The next morning, Hermione woke with a panicked start. She was still on the sofa where she had drifted off the previous night, and her alarm clock was, of course, in her bedroom. She glanced at her living room clock to see that it was almost ten. Damn. Work began at eight. She jumped up and smoothed down the clothes she had never bothered to change out of. Hopefully no-one would notice.

She had to risk Apparating. Already more than two hours late, she couldn't afford to wait for the bus to arrive. She appeared in the alleyway behind the library, where the bins were stored, and rushed around to the front doors.

"I'm so sorry I'm late!" Hermione said to her boss. "I overslept; I really have no excuse-"

"Miss Granger," her manager said, cutting off her garbled explanation. "This really is the last straw. Your work has really gone downhill over the last few weeks, and coming in two hours late without so much as a call is unacceptable."

"I got here as soon as I could-"

"You should have called as soon as you woke up, when you knew you would be late," her manager interrupted. "It must have taken you at least an hour to get here from home; you could have notified us of the problem before you left."

Hermione opened her mouth to explain that it had been less than ten minutes since she awoke, but quickly closed it again. She couldn't tell him that she had Apparated; he wouldn't understand, and she'd only be in trouble with the Ministry if she even tried to explain it.

"I'm afraid we have to let you go. I'm sorry, but you've become too much of a liability."

Hermione nodded, not trusting herself to speak. She turned on her heel and left the building, determined not to cry until she got home.

When Hermione's head appeared in his fireplace, Harry had initially been delighted, until he noticed the blotchiness and puffy eyes that told him she was upset.

"Hermione, what's wrong?" he asked, dropping to his knees in front of the fire.

"I got sacked," Hermione said.

"Hang on, I'll be right over."

Harry quickly explained the situation to Ginny, who immediately agreed that he should head over. His hand lingered on her swollen stomach as he kissed her goodbye.

"I'll be back later. Love you."

Harry Apparated directly into Hermione's kitchen, startling her into dropping the dish she had been about to place in the cupboard. Shards of crockery flew everywhere as the dish hit the floor, and immediately Hermione burst into tears.

Harry stepped forward and wrapped his arms around his friend, gently rubbing her back as she sobbed into his shoulder. When she had cried herself out, he guided her over to a chair, pulled out his wand and repaired the dish with a quick flick.

"See, good as new," he grinned, and Hermione offered him a small, shaky smile in response.

"Do you want to tell me what happened?" Harry asked, pulling out the chair opposite her for himself.

Hermione launched into a long explanation of the last few days, how her mental state had been slipping, culminating in the loss of her job that morning. Harry listened intently, patting her hand each time she showed signs of becoming emotional again. When she had finished, Harry stood up.

"Come on, let's get you cleaned up. We're going shopping."

A few hours later, Hermione's cupboards and fridge were full once more, relieving her of one of her worries. She hated to accept Harry's charity, but he insisted, and she couldn't really afford to be prideful. It was a simple gesture, and she knew it would hardly put a dent in his finances, but it had improved her mood greatly.

Harry cooked dinner for the two of them, and they sat and chatted for hours. It wasn't often that they got to spend uninterrupted time together any more, especially since Ginny had fallen pregnant, and she treasured the moment.

"Hermione, you know I'm always here for you. Any time, anything you need, you only need to give me a call. Whether you're struggling with money, or you just need someone to listen to your problems, or you just want some company, I'll always be here. Please, don't let yourself get into this kind of state again."

Hermione nodded, tears welling up in her eyes once more. She loved Harry more than he'd ever know.

"Take a few days to look after yourself and then we'll see about getting you a new job. You're brilliant; you can do better than that rubbish place. You'll see, this will all turn out for the best. I promise."

Hermione smiled. Harry was right, and she knew it. Together they had got through far worse than this. Everything would soon get better. They'd make sure of it.


End file.
